Brooks School Celebrates Improving Test Scores

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released statewide achievement scores for PARCC and MCAS exams Monday afternoon and they showed an improved ranking for the Elizabeth Carter Brooks Elementary School.

The test results showed the school jumping from a level three school to a level one school.

Superintendent Dr. Pia Durkin visited the school on Tuesday to congratulate the students and their teachers.

"All of you worked so hard that you were able to get progress in both literacy and math with your teachers and be able to show that you are one of the highest achieving schools in New Bedford Public Schools," said Durkin.

Principal Maria Reidy also sent her congratulations to the students and teachers and thanked for them for all their hard work, but said there is still more to do.

"We're at 31 percentile proficiency, I want 50 next year, so we still have alot of work to do," said Reidy "but we believe in you, we know you try your best, you come in everyday, you work really hard and I know Brooks can do it.

Thomas R. Rodman Elementary School also improved, going from level three school to a level two school.

Mayor Jon Mitchell says that not all schools across the system have achieved the same level of success, but that progress is being made.

"We're seeing general improvement in our elementary schools and that's good," said Mitchell "there's still work to be done at the middle schools and the High School, but they're all moving, we're building a foundation in the elementary schools and that's going to lead, in the long run, to great success throughout the system."

New Bedford High School slipped to the bottom two percent of high schools across the state while all three middle schools rank from seven to nine percent.

the state while all three middle schools rank from seven to nine percent.